On CDC estimates, Forestdale is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns
Forestdale differs from Alabama on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 11 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Forestdale. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Forestdale
Making ends meet is harder in Forestdale
3 in 10 adults worry about having enough food (28.2%), vs 19.2% across Alabama. Utility shut-off threats (15.6% vs 9.6%) and housing insecurity (20.9% vs 13.9%) are higher too. 22.7% of adults receive SNAP, vs 14% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
More Forestdale adults lack emotional support
3 in 10 adults lack social or emotional support (28.5%), vs 24.8% across Alabama. Loneliness is above the state too: 40.1%, vs 35.4% across Alabama. Mind & connection ↓
Forestdale keeps up with checkups
It beats Alabama on four of five routine checkups and screenings, including yearly checkups (84.4% vs 80.4%) and cholesterol checks (88.3% vs 85.8%). Checkups ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Alabama figure falls outside Forestdale’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
What’s behind Forestdale’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forestdale is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns, #115 of 187 in Alabama. Physical distress holds the grade up (fewer adults with frequent physical distress than 49% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 2%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Forestdale’s median household income is $66,569; among the 10,143 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($50K–$83K), it’s healthier than 21%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Few Alabama towns score lower on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Forestdale is healthier than 38% of graded towns, against 20% nationally.
Where Forestdale compares well: cancer, other than skin cancer, 6.7% (U.S. 7.9%); binge drinking, 11.3% (U.S. 15.4%); checkup in the past year, 84.4% (U.S. 77.4%).
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
22.7% of Forestdale adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14% across Alabama.
How Forestdale adults are doing
On 2 of 4 measures, Forestdale runs above Alabama.
2 in 5 Forestdale adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Keeping up with care
Share of Forestdale adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Alabama.
Out of every 100 Forestdale adults…
Forestdale runs below AL on 2 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Forestdale is an older town: 27% of residents are 65 or older, vs 18% across Alabama. Stroke and diabetes rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Forestdale as about how healthy they are.
Care in and near Forestdale
No hospital or community health center in Forestdale itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Forestdale; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with Alabama
Share of adults, with the Alabama figure marked.
Walk with neighbors
The easiest exercise habit to keep is one with company.
Forestdale and the towns around it
Forestdale’s Health Grade ranks 3rd of 4 graded towns around it.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestdale | C− | 43.4% | 20.2% | 15.6% | CDC place |
| Adamsville | C | 38.9% | 16.4% | 15.5% | CDC place |
| Birmingham | D | 42.2% | 19.2% | 16.6% | CDC place |
| Brookside | B− | 35% | 13.9% | 15% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Forestdale adults live with a disability (Alabama 36.5%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Forestdale
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Forestdale is better than Alabama on 8 and worse on 11; on the rest, the Alabama figure falls inside Forestdale’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Forestdale | AL | U.S. | vs AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 25.8%23–28.7 | 22.8% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 14.2%12.6–15.9 | 14.2% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 17.2%15.3–19.2 | 17.2% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 43.4%38.8–48.2 | 39.4% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 20.2%18–22.5 | 14.8% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 51.2%47.9–54.6 | 43.3% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 41.2%37.8–44.7 | 40.7% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 31.7%28.8–34.7 | 30.3% | 25.3% | About the same |
| Asthma | 10.9%9.7–12.3 | 10% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.7%6.1–7.4 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 7.7%6.9–8.6 | 7.3% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 8.2%7.2–9.2 | 8% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 5.4%4.9–5.9 | 4.1% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 15.9%13.1–18.9 | 15.4% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 15.6%13.6–17.9 | 15.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 33.3%29.4–37.3 | 28.7% | 24.7% | Worse |
| Binge drinking | 11.3%9.5–13.4 | 14.1% | 15.4% | Better |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.2%37.9–46.6 | 39.1% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 9.8%8.4–11.6 | 9.9% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 84.4%82.1–86.7 | 80.4% | 77.4% | Better |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 55.3%51.5–58.9 | 56.9% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.3%86.7–89.8 | 85.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 81.3%79–83.5 | 78% | 76.5% | Better |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 73.4%69.6–77 | 67% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 85.6%81.1–89.3 | 77.9% | 76.4% | Better |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 20.3%17.7–23.2 | 23.3% | 20.6% | Better |
| Feel lonely | 40.1%36.2–44.2 | 35.4% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 28.5%25.2–32.1 | 24.8% | 23.6% | Worse |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 28.2%25–31.8 | 19.2% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 20.9%18.4–23.7 | 13.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 15.6%13.7–17.7 | 9.6% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 13.6%12–15.4 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 22.7%19.9–25.9 | 14% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 39.5%35.8–43.4 | 36.5% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21.2%18.9–23.6 | 17.1% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.4%14.6–18.4 | 16.1% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.9%6.2–7.8 | 8.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 7.7%7–8.5 | 6% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 11.2%10–12.5 | 9.8% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 6.2%5.6–6.8 | 4.6% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Alabama figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Forestdale
Is Forestdale a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Forestdale is healthier than 20% of U.S. towns: C− for health, #115 of 187 in Alabama. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 21%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Forestdale?
CDC estimates 43.4% of adults have obesity, likely between 38.8% and 48.2%, against 39.4% across Alabama and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Forestdale?
Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, 6.0 miles in a straight line from Forestdale’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Forestdale have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 9.8% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 8.4–11.6%), against 9.9% across Alabama.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Forestdale more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to C+.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Forestdale.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Alabama figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.